The right to read: My dyslexic daughter got the help she needed. All kids should. #MCPS

...While not thrilled about the tutoring, Phoebe recognized that the sessions at the Lab School were “better” than the help she was getting at public school, even from reading specialists and special educators. Why was this? I believe it was because her tutor was using an Orton-Gillingham-based approach to help her remember phonics — the word sounds that “normal” readers can’t recall learning to recognize in print because their brains held on to that information like flypaper in first grade. Developed in the early 20th century, Orton-Gillingham emphasized explicit, sequential, multisensory instruction (hearing, saying, tracing and writing). For example, Phoebe and her tutor might spend a session on the letter combination “ow” and the different sounds it makes, then review letter combinations Phoebe had mastered earlier. The training and materials for programs based on Orton-Gillingham tend to be expensive and work best one-on-one or in small groups, which may explain why this particular intervention wasn’t available at her school...
...Maryland special education census data shows this lack of clout in private school placement: In 2016-17, white students, who are 37 percent of special education students in Maryland, secured 76 percent of parentally requested private placement at public expense, whereas African Americans, who make up 41 percent of special education students, secured 11 percent, and Latinos, who make up 14.5 percent of special education students, secured 5 percent...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/magazine/years-of-tutoring-helped-my-dyslexic-daughter-read-all-kids-deserve-such-support/2017/09/27/60a81e6a-9405-11e7-89fa-bb822a46da5b_story.html?utm_term=.87f12d315568#comments